Wales in danger of missing out on Euro qualification
- Published
Armenia took the lead after just five minutes
Wales' hopes of qualifying automatically for Euro 2024 suffered a big blow after a draw with Armenia in the country's capital, Yerevan.
Armenia took the lead after just five minutes but Wales managed to equalise just before half-time when Armenia's Nair Tiknizyan headed into his own goal from a Welsh throw-in.
Neither team could score a winning goal in the second half and the result means Wales must now beat Group D leaders Turkey in Cardiff on Tuesday and hope that Croatia drop points against Armenia on Tuesday, to have any chance of qualifying from the group.
A second chance at qualification?
If Wales fail to finish among the top two, they won't have earned qualification through their group for next summer's European Championships.
But, there is a second chance through a play-off match next year thanks to the Uefa Nations League.
The Nations League, which is a fairly new international tournament that started in 2018, changed the play-off process for the Euros, so if you don't finish within the top two of your qualification group there is still a chance to make it into the tournament.
The games include a semi-final match and then final, much like Wales' route to the 2022 World Cup after they beat Austria and Ukraine.
'We have to get on with it'
‘We’re all disappointed but have to pick ourselves up’
"Unfortunately it's now out of our control," said Wales' manager, Robert Page.
"With a win, we'd all have been buzzing and looking forward to the game on Tuesday and [another] win would have seen us qualify.
"It's not materialised as we'd like but that's life and we have to get on with it.
"It's about building momentum and, if it's a play-off in March, it's a play-off in March. If results go for us, we've still got an opportunity to qualify [automatically].
"We can only control what we can do, get the players in the right frame of mind, mentally and physically ready for Tuesday."
Euro 2024 begins when Germany play the opening Group A match in Munich on Friday 14 June 2024 and ends with the final in Berlin on Sunday 14 July.
England and Scotland have both qualified for the tournament, but Northern Ireland have missed out.
- Published17 November 2023
- Published18 October 2023
